Triathletes highlight weekend of busy running action

Harford triathletes competed in two races on opposite ends of the spectrum of difficulty Sunday, one in Delaware and one on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

Kelly Paduch of Bel Air raced to a top-five finish in the latter, the Endurafit EagleMan Triathlon in Cambridge. The James Madison University junior completed a 70.3-mile course in 5 hours, 21 minutes to place fifth in the women's 20-24 age group.

She swam 1.2 miles in 43:53, biked 56 miles at 20.4 mph and ran 13.1 miles in 1:46:14 to finish in the top one-fifth of the field of 679 women.

Six other Harford triathletes were among the 2,100 competitors. Mark Kitz of Bel Air finished 130th among 1,437 men. He averaged 22.9 mph on the bike and closed with a 1:32:16 on the run to finish in 4:41:55.

The race, which drew many first-time triathletes, included a quarter-mile swim, 10-mile bike and 2-mile run. Competing for the Harford Multisport Club, Markel swam 7:19, biked 25:43 and ran 12:51 to finish 15th overall among 332 in 47:57.

Sara Miller of Bel Air won the 35-39 age group. Closing with a 13:44 two-mile, she finished in 54:57 to place 16th among the women. She was one of seven members of the Go Mama Go Triathlon Club in the race.

Renee Vadas Gray of Bel Air took third in 40-44 and ninth overall among women in 53:13.

Nellie Budrow of Aberdeen held off a challenge from Jessica Rogers of Bel Air to win the women's race of the Grandview Christian 5K in Fallston Sunday.

Budrow finished in 21:18, about 40 meters ahead of Rogers, 21:26. Lorrie Chieffo took third in 23:34. Joy Hayward was fourth in 23:50, and Anna Wasielewski, fifth in 24:02.

Damion Bishoff, a junior at Rising Sun High School, ran 18:40 to lead all 66 runners and finish 18 seconds ahead of Ryan Rivera, also of Rising Sun. Brooks Anderson, 19:17; Saul Duarte, 19:44; and Ben Wickham, 19:48, finished in the top five.

Gunpowder Neck 10 Miler

Jeff Burger reversed the finish order of the 2012 men's race of the Gunpowder Neck 10 Miler in Edgewood Sunday. So did Sarah Zephir-Thomason.

Burger, 37, of Bel Air, led the men in the 40th annual race in 62:44, out-running Jerry Henderson by 1:35. Henderson won in 2012, with Burger second.

Zephir-Thomason, 38, of Forest Hill, finished second last year to Christine Trczinski, but this time won in 1:13:48, with Trczinski second in 1:16:16. Jenn Perkovich placed third in 1:22:10. Mike Sandy was third in the men's race in 1:05:19.